


All Along I Believed

by tillyenna



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Idiots in Love, Long Distance Relationships, M/M, hockey boys are dumb and in love, very little plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:02:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27548005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tillyenna/pseuds/tillyenna
Summary: Following Tom and Mike's relationship since Mike stopped playing for the Caps *sobs*This is quite angsty, but also they love each other very much. So it's also quite fluffy. There is no plot.Prompt was: "What would you do if I didn't come back?"/ "Would you miss me at all?"Working title was: 5 Times Mike thinks being traded means that Tom is going to break up with himOnly it didn't actually work out as five times I don't think. I lost count somewhere idk. Poor mike.
Relationships: Michael Latta/Tom Wilson
Comments: 26
Kudos: 68





	All Along I Believed

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from "A Thousand Years" by christina perri, if you listen to that while you read this, you might cry. Sorry.

Hindsight is 20/20, everyone says it, that’s why it’s a damn cliché, but it’s also true, and Tom realises with the perfect vision that hindsight allows him that maybe yeah, he’d been ignoring Mike a little.

It’s just the end of the season had been exhausting for Mike, plus he’d been stressed with the end of his contract coming up and Andre is right there, and the three of them have always been flexible about who sleeps in who’s bed and it’s easier to crawl into Andre’s bed when Mike is sulking.

Still, Burky’s headed back to Sweden and it’s just the two of them packing up their things when Tom realises that Mike is packing literally everything he owns.

“Dude,” he gestures to the pile of winter coats and game day suits, “You really gonna need those for the off season.”

Mike shrugs at him, before turning back to his packing, “Figures I don’t have to come back and do any extra packing.”

“Mike,” Tom takes the shirt that Mike had been folding out of his hands and instead holds them himself, “Don’t be like that, you’re coming back.” He nudges him with his shoulder, “Cap for life bro.”

“What would you do if I didn’t come back?” Mike asks, and for the first time he meets Tom’s gaze and there are tears in his eyes, “Would you miss me at all?”

“Latts,” Tom steps forwards, wrapping his arms around Mike’s waist, “Baby, if I’m seeming like I’m not bothered about the end of your contract it’s because I can’t even think about the possibility of you not coming back.”

Mike looks away, and shrugs, “It’s not like you’d be lonely.”

Stepping back, Tom asks him, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Another shrug from Mike, “You’ve got Burky.”

“We’ve got Burky.” Tom corrects him, “He’s always been our boy, yours and mine, and that is nothing like what we have, you know that Latts.”

Mike frowns, and for the first time Tom realises that maybe Mike doesn’t know that, “How is it different?”

“Jesus Mike,” Tom swears, “Because Burky is our cute twink that we keep around because we both enjoy fucking him and you’re the love of my fucking life.”

Mike makes a sound like he’s choking, “Except next year, it’ll just be you and him.”

“If they don’t resign you,” Tom reminds him, “If. And if they don’t,” he reaches out and takes Mike’s hand in his, it’s not something they do very often, holding hands, but maybe in retrospect it’s something they should do more. “Then we’ll do the long distance thing.”

A brief look of confusion flickers across Mike’s face and Tom feels his heart sink.

“Mike, baby,” he shoves some clothes off the bed so he can sit down and pull Mike down beside him, “We’re not two teammates fucking because it’s convenient, you’re not my fucking road husband here.”

“I’m not?” Mike asks, his voice smaller than Tom thought he could ever hear it.

“No, fuck no.” Tom wraps his arm around Mike’s waist and rests his head against Mike’s shoulder, “Mike, I love you, and I have no idea how I’m going to play without you because to me that’s like playing with a missing fucking limb, but we will manage this.”

“Huh,” Mike says softly, “You really love me?”

“Latts,” Tom sighs, “I wasn’t fucking kidding when I say you’re the love of my life.”

“You tell everyone you love them Tom.” Mike says quietly, and it’s the use of his first name that lets Tom know that this is serious.

“Not the way I love you Mikey,” he presses a quick kiss to Mike’s shoulder, “I mean, for fucks sake, we adopted a rookie together, that’s not just buddies.”

Mike raises an eyebrow at him, “Is he our rookie or our twink Willy, you’ve kind of got to decide.”

“No I don’t,” Tom grins at him, “And I’d like to point out that we adopted a rookie to come and live with us in our two bed apartment, which was pretty much us coming out to the team.”

“Oh.” Mike frowns, “I didn’t realise that.”

Tom lets his teeth graze the shell of Mike’s ear, “Good job I don’t keep you around for your brains babes.” He nuzzles his nose into Mike’s hair, “I keep you around because I love you.”

“I don’t know how to do this,” Mike admits, his arms finally coming to wrap around Tom the way Tom’s wanted him to do since this conversation started.

“We’ll work it out,” Tom promises him, “And if you want me to stop fucking Burky if you aren’t around then I will absolutely do that.”

“Really?” Mike stares at him in surprise.

“Really.” Tom reassures him, “Because it’s just sex with him, but you’re my forever guy.”

Mike glances over his shoulder at the bed behind them and groans, “Why is our bed covered in stuff Willy?”

“Because some asshole decided he was going to pack everything he owns,” Tom sasses back, “Lets go fuck on Andre’s bed.”

“I love you.” Mike tells him, pulling him in for a kiss.

“I know,” Tom answers back, smug grin plastered across his face, “This is only news to one of us buddy.”

They’re up in Mike’s cabin when the call comes through, it’s not like the end of the contract was a surprise, so whilst they’d both spent some time with their families, they’d decided they’d rather be together. Mike takes the phone call sat on the couch with Willy wrapped around him, pressing kisses against his shoulder as he nods and makes polite noises at his agent.

“Caps are very grateful for all I’ve done,” he says as he hangs up the phone, “But they don’t want to keep me.”

Tom clenches his jaw to stop the sob that threatens to escape his chest, “You know where you’re going?”

“LA want me.” Mike nods, “So looks like I’m going to LA.”

“LA.” Tom breathes, for a moment all he can do is breathe, “I guess I’m getting up early for morning phone sex.”

“Tom, we don’t have to…”

“I swear to god Mike,” Tom mutters against his ear, “If you are about to suggest that we’re breaking up because you’re playing in a different conference then I will retire and become your WAG and you can’t stop me.”

“I was just going to say that we don’t have to have morning sex.” Mike says bitchily, even though they both know that wasn’t where he’d been heading.

“Maybe you don’t have to have morning sex.” Tom smirks, “But I happen to find it the best way to start my day.”

“You really think we can do this,” Mike twists around in his arms so they’re face to face.

“I know we can baby,” Tom tells him, “Because you’re my guy, and that’s not changing just because you’re going to LA.”

“You don’t need to stop fucking Burky,” Mike tells him, “Just, maybe skype me sometimes so I can watch it.”

“Oh fuck yes.” Tom grins, “Burky and I are going to put on the greatest shows for you.”

Training camp is brutal for both of them, and at least one night, their nightly phone call just ends up with neither of them talking, just falling asleep with the phoneline still open.

The end of training camp comes and when Tom answers Mike’s phone call to just silence he knows it’s not good news, he knows Mike’s been struggling with the team dynamic in LA. “Babes?” he asks.

“Ontario.” Is all Mike says with a sigh, “They’re sending me down to the A.”

“Ok,” Tom says, and then his brain catches up, “Ontario?”

“It’s still California.” Mike assures him, “I’m not actually going to…. Ontario.”

“Ok.” Tom says again, he’s desperately trying to ignore the fact that that means he won’t even get his two yearly games against Mike, unless he manages to get called up. “You know this doesn’t stop me loving you Mikey.”

“I know,” Mike says quietly, and there’s an echo of relief in his voice which lets Tom know that he didn’t really.

“I love you.” Tom reassures him, “I’m not going to stop loving you because you’re playing in the A bud.”

“Gonna make you be my sugar daddy,” Mike grins at him down the phone.

“Can I even be your sugar daddy if I’m younger than you?” Tom grins back, and things feel normal again for a moment.

Tom’s never been more glad that neither of them are the kinds of players to get selected for their league’s all star games than he is that year. Mike suggests inviting Burky to come away with them for the week, but Tom shuts that down pretty quickly, “Sorry babes,” he tells him, “I’ve missed you too much, I don’t want to share you.” They end up in a hotel room where they don’t leave the bed for pretty much the entire four days except to hit the gym once a day.

“How do we say goodbye?” Mike asks at the end of the week, “How the fuck am I supposed to let you go back?”

“It’s just a couple of months babes,” Tom assures him, “And trust me, there’s no spending time with our families separately we are going to be joined at the hip this off season.”

“Ok,” Mike tells him, pulling him in for yet another goodbye kiss, “I love you Tommy.”

“Love you too.” Tom tells him, and it’s so hard to let Mike go so they can head to the airport.

When Tom answers the phone, the first word he hears is “Chicago.”

“What?”

“I’m going to Chicago,” Mike says breathlessly, “Well, Rockford, but close enough, we’ll be in the same time zone Tommy.”

Tom can’t stop the grin that’s spreading across his face, because maybe they have a few more games against Chicago left this season, and Rockford is close enough that he can probably take his curfew exemptions and drive over to meet Mike, or maybe Mike would be able to come and see him and the boys. “Latts, you’ll be a couple of hours away on a plane.” He points out. It’s not like they ever have the day off at the same time, but it’s a nice thought.

Still, when they get off the phone call and he checks his roster, there’s no Chicago games left, and it’s not like the Ice Hogs play Hershey ever, so it looks like they’re back to counting down the days until the off season. Still, it’s a little easier now they’re in the same time zone, and every night they’re not out with the boys they’re skyping each other.

The Caps make it through to the second round of the playoffs, and Tom tries not to be bitter about it meaning the off season is that bit further away, especially not when by the end of the first series Mike isn’t playing anymore, so he heads home to Washington to support them and then flies out to Toronto to see them beat the leafs in game seven.

“You gonna fly me out to every game,” he murmurs softly against Tom’s lips, as they’re lying in bed, sweated and sated. “Tote me around like I’m your personal puck bunny.”

“Damn fucking straight I am.” Tom grins at him, “The other guys have their girls supporting them, why can’t I have my boy?”

Still, he’s not the only person who’s missed Mike, so he drags him along to team dinner before the next series and the cheers that echo round the room when the two of them walk in make Tom grin and nudge Mike in the side.

“Oh Shit,” Oshie grins at the pair of them, “Latts is back, I’m gonna be demoted from wifey again.”

“Nah,” Tom winks at him flirtatiously, “You’re always my wifey, Latts is my man.” There are wolf whistles and jeers from all around the table. “And I know,” Tom turns to Ovi, “You said no other halves at this dinner, but I figured you’d all want to see Mike anyway.”

“Is fine,” Ovi winks at him, “I swap seats so Mike can sit next to his Papa.”

While Ovi and Nicke are swapping places, Tom slides down opposite TJ, Mike slipping into the seat next to him.

“It’s not really the same though,” Oshie grins across the table, “Like, you bringing Latts.”

Tom feels a little flicker of annoyance, “It kind of is.” He says, with quiet resolve, “Now we’re not on the same team, it’s just like you bringing Lauren.”

Oshie pulls a face, “More like me bringing Tazer maybe.”

Tom flicks his eyes towards Mike to see what Mike’s making of this exchange, and he can see the tension he’s carrying in his shoulders, so he slides one hand onto Mike’s thigh, “Not unless you and Toews are a lot closer than I’d realised Osh, no.”

TJ frowns at him, “Are you saying you and Latts are actually…” he falters, seemingly unable to finish the sentence.

Tom snorts, “Jesus Christ Osh, I literally spend all of my time on skype with him, we lived together for three years, and last year, we moved Burky into the spare room in our two bedroom apartment.”

“He has a point,” Mike says quietly, lacing his finger’s through Tom’s, “Where the fuck did you think Burky was sleeping if Tom and I weren’t together?”

Oshie opens his mouth, and then closes it again, twice. He looks a little like a fish for a moment before he finally says, “I hadn’t actually thought about it.”

“Jesus,” Tom groans, he looks across at Nicke, “You knew Papa, you knew right?”

Nicke raises a cool eyebrow at him, “I probably knew before either of you idiots did.”

Tom grins back at him, “You definitely knew before Latts did, he was slow on the fucking uptake.”

“Shut up.” Mike side eyes him, but there’s fondness in his smile, and Tom can’t help but lean their heads together.

They don’t make it past the second round, but part of Tom doesn’t care, because he and Mike spend a week at Mike’s cabin making up for lost time and then they go and see Mike’s family, together, and Tom’s family, together, and they spend a week out in Sweden visiting Andre, together. They head back to Mike’s cabin for the start of free agency however, it’s easier when it’s just the two of them.

When the call comes through that Mike’s going to Arizona, to play in Tuscan Tom has to sit there and watch the tired resignation in Mike’s eyes. They don’t talk about it, Tom takes him back to bed and they fuck until they can’t think about hockey anymore and it’s not until they’re lying in the dark hours later that Mike finally voices his fears.

“What if I never make it back to the show Tommy?”

“Latts,” Tom groans, rolling over to press a kiss to his shoulder, “Mikey, you are so good.”

Mike gives a hollow sounding laugh, “You’re biased Willy, and I’m being realistic here. I’m not one of the best players in the A, at this point I’m becoming a fucking journeyman AHL player.”

“Do you hate the A that much?” Tom’s only ever played a handful of games with the bears, not enough to really get a feel of what the league is like.

“It’s so fucking different,” Mike says sadly, “And I’m not just talking about the play.”

Tom sighs, he takes a breath, and he says the one thing he really doesn’t want to, “There are other leagues.”

That gets a huff of disbelief from Mike, “In other fucking countries Tom, are you mad?”

Tom shrugs, “We survived LA, we’re going to fucking survive Arizona, if we have to survive Europe too, then we will.”

The next year is even harder than the first, because Arizona damn near kills Mike. The team are awful, the coaches are awful, his roommate is depressed and on top of it all, the Caps are playing really well, they’re at the top of their game, better than they’ve ever been.

“You can talk about it you know,” Mike says softly after one particularly beautiful win from the Caps.

“I know,” Tom says, “But…” he leaves unsaid the fact that the roadrunners got creamed, and Mike barely got any ice time anyway.

“God,” Mike groans, “This is just…”

“I know.” Tom says, and wishes fervently that he could touch Mike in some way.

Mike gets traded to New Jersey exactly 7 days before Tom arrives in Arizona for their game against the ‘yotes. Tom cries on the plane and not one of his teammates judges him.

New Jersey is better for Mike than Arizona was, mind you, Tom is pretty sure that if Hell does ever freeze over, whatever hockey team they have will be better than anything from Arizona.

The Caps have two days off over new year, and Tom drives for five hours to spend one precious night with Mike, watching him play and then ringing in the new year in each others arms.

He’s glad they managed to snatch new year’s, because when Tom’s in New Jersey later in January, Mike’s away on a roadie, so they have to make do with Skype calls and occasional off days with long road trips. The Devil’s don’t make the playoffs however, and the Caps do, so yet again, Mike is back in Washington playing at being a WAG for the playoffs.

It stirs something in Tom’s heart when he looks up in the stands and knows that Mike is sat next to Lauren, and after he’s TJ has slapped him on the ass with his stick and he’s knocked TJ to the floor doing the same back to him, he shoulder checks him softly. “My boy’s up there with your girl Osh.”

“Woman.” Oshie grins at him, “Lauren is a woman.”

“And Latts is 100% man.” Tom grins back.

It’s hard, the playoffs are long, but every second of them is worth it when he lifts that cup over his head and he feels himself spinning on his skates until he’s staring at where Mike is sat in the stands. Through all the joy that he feels it hurts deep in his gut that Mike isn’t there on the ice with him.

They have the option, when giving the team their ring size, to also give their spouses ring size (or whether they’d prefer a pendant), and Tom put’s Mike’s ring size down even though he’s not sure if he’ll even look at it.

When it comes, he offers him the box, “I know it’s not the ring you wanted babes.” He says quietly, it’s just the two of them, up at the cabin, their safe space.”

“I know,” Mike draws him in for a kiss, “But just because I didn’t win it with you doesn’t mean I’m not so very proud of you Tom.”

“I love you.” Tom whispers, “I love you so fucking much.”

“I know,” Mike says with a quiet sob, and then, even quieter, “I think I’m going to go to Russia.”

Tom can’t stop it, can’t stop the sob that escapes past his lips, can’t stop the way he draws Mike into his arms and holds him tight like he never wants to let him go. “I love you so fucking much Mike,” he sobs, “And I will keep loving you even if you’re in Russia.”

“Fuck.” Mike sobs into his shoulder, getting his tears and his snot all over Tom’s t-shirt, neither of them caring, neither of them caring about the desperate sounds that they’re making. “I don’t know how we’re going to do this Tommy.”

“We’ll manage,” Tom pulls away just a little so he can tilt his head down and press their foreheads together, “We survived LA, we survived fucking Arizona…”

“…Fuck Arizona,” Mike interjects automatically, with a tearful chuckle.

“And we will survive Russia, and I love you so much you’ll be able to feel it all away across the fucking ocean Latts, you know that right?”

“I love you too,” Mike whispers back, pulling him in for a desperate tear filled kiss.

Mike’s agent ends up getting him a contract with Shanghai, which isn’t Russia after all, but he will be playing in the KHL, which means keeping even more quiet about the “bromance” than it did in the NHL.

The KHL start earlier than they do in the NHL, so Tom has to help Mike pack all of his stuff that he’s taking to Shanghai. It’s not a lot, and Mike’s agent has been over all the things that Mike can’t say or do about dating Tom while he’s over there.

“It’s not perfect,” Mike admits, “I’d much rather be somewhere where I can at least admit how much I love you,” he squeezes Tom’s hand softly, “But I can’t stay here, I can’t stay in the A.”

“I know sweetheart,” Tom presses a soft kiss to his cheek, “And I’ve told you before and I’ll tell you a thousand times more, I will support you and love you wherever you decide to play.”

He drops Mike at the airport and heads straight to his parents house where he spends the night sobbing in his mom’s arms. When he gets to Washington, he heads straight to Nicke’s house and spends a good few hours sobbing there too, but by the time the season starts he feels like he’s cried enough tears to fill the ocean that lies between them and he’s ready to put his game face back on.

They still manage Skype calls most days, sometimes it means Tom has to call him while he’s at the rink with the boys around him, but that just means Ovi comes over and speaks to him in Russian, teasing Mike for his halting speech and his terrible accent. The first time Tom tells him he loves him while they’re at the rink in front of all the boys there’s teasing and laughter, but when he hangs up and wipes away the tears that always seem to come, and shoots them all a quiet look, a look which is so not the Willy they’re used to, they never do it again.

The season drags, and it doesn’t look like they’re going to get to repeat, no matter how hard they try, they’re not the same team that they were, they don’t have the chemistry that they used to, and no matter how hard Tom tries to be the room guy he’s always been, there’s a heaviness in his heart every time someone asks him about his boy, knowing that Mike is having to keep so quiet and so private.

They don’t make it past the first round of the playoffs, and Tom heads straight up to Mike’s cabin where he’s been waiting for him. They haven’t seen each other in person in nearly a year and Tom cries when Mike fits into his arms like he’d never left.

“Lets get married.” Tom says, when they’ve finished sobbing their hearts out to each other.

“Tommy,” Mike says quietly, “If we get married I can’t go back to Shanghai, I have to be able to work in Russia, I can’t be publicly gay.”

“Do you want to?” Tom asks honestly, Mike’s been quiet and reserved on every single skype call they’ve managed, a shadow of his former self.

“I don’t have the luxury Willy,” Mike sighs, “I go where there’s teams that’ll take me.”

“You could always…” Tom starts, but Mike cuts him off.

“If the word retire comes out of your mouth I swear to god Willy, I’m walking away right here, right now.”

“I was going to say, look at some of the other European leagues.” Tom knows better than to suggest retirement, even if they could both live off Tom’s salary, hockey has never been about the money for either of them.

“You think?” Mike asks, he’d picked the KHL because it’s the biggest league outside of the states, and he likes having the fans, he likes the atmosphere of a packed rink, he doesn’t want to go to some small country where nobody cares about hockey, playing in front of a few locals and their goalie’s mom.

“What about Sweden.” Tom says softly, “We’ve been, you like it, they don’t hate the gays, Burky can help you with the Swedish stuff.”

“I’ll talk to my agent,” Mike promises, “But I don’t want to get married before I know that I don’t have to go back to playing in Russia.”

“Not married then,” Tom relents, burying his face in Mike’s hair, “Just, I just want it to be you and me forever and I’ve hated every second of every day we’ve been apart.”

“We did ok.” Mike tells him, “We survived LA, and fucking Arizona.”

“I don’t know if we can survive another year of Shanghai though.” Tom says honestly, “The way your face looks when you’re there.”

“It’s still hockey Willy.” And the look on Mike’s face means that Tom is even more determined to find him somewhere he can play hockey that isn’t going to destroy him.

They spend more of the summer up at the Cabin, just the two of them than they normally would, but Tom needs it, needs Mike with him, needs to be in a space where he can reach out and take Mike’s hand without having to check that no-one is watching, where he can be free to pull Mike into a kiss just because he’s overwhelmed by how much he loves him.

Mike’s family come up, because they’ve missed him while he’s been in Russia just as much as Tom has, and Tom’s family comes up and Tom finds himself sat by the fire, his parents and his brothers with them, Mike’s parents are there too, and Tom has his arm around Mike’s shoulder’s Mike tucked into his side.

“I love you.” He says quietly, they’re out to both of their families, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to have a private moment just the two of them, “And wherever you go next year, I’ll love you there too.”

“I won’t go to Russia,” Mike tells him, “I won’t go back to the KHL.” He leans into Tom’s embrace, “Because I know it makes you worry, and I don’t want that.”

“You don’t have to give up just because of me,” Tom straightens up.

“Hey,” Mike intertwines their fingers, “I’m being a big boy, and adult relationships involve compromise, so that’s what we’re doing.”

“If there’s no Russia…” Tom grins at him, “Does that mean you’ll marry me?”

“I was always going to marry you Willy, but yeah, this means you can get me an engagement ring if you want.”

It takes a while for Mike’s agent to sort it, but eventually, he goes out to Sweden, with a phrase book, duolingo, and a bunch of handwritten swear words from Burky.

When Tom gets back to Washington, the first thing he gets is an invite to dinner with Nicke.

“Neither of your boys this year,” Nicke says bluntly when they sit down, “You going to be ok?”

Tom shrugs, “I’ve lived apart from Mike before, we’ve been doing this for a few years.”

“But not Andre.”

Tom shrugs, “Andre isn’t my partner, yeah, I’ll miss having my friend around, but trades are part of the game.”

“Huh,” Nicke looks at him, almost assessing him, “I always assumed the three of you were…”

Tom shakes his head, “Why does everyone think that, Burky is just a good buddy, Mike is the love of my fucking life.” He blushes before admitting to Nicke, “We’re totally getting married by the way, and he’ll cry if you aren’t there.”

“Of course I’ll be there.” Nicke promises him, “Besides, I need to call him up to help him practise his Swedish.”

Of course, 2020 doesn’t quite go as planned, but the second they’re told to go home and quarantine, Tom doesn’t go home, he heads straight for the cabin. Mike arrives almost a week later, having flown in from Sweden, and they’re told they have to isolate for two weeks, which means nothing but the two of them and their bed.

“I know the world is ending,” Tom says, staring up at the ceiling of their bedroom, “But it means I get you back sooner than expected, so I’m not exactly mad.”

“Idiot,” Mike says fondly, poking him in the ribs.

Tom has to do a phone call with Caps media, keeping the fans engaged, so he goes and sits in the study, which has a blank wall behind him. He tries to persuade Mike to be on it, but he knows that will cause too many questions, and Mike points out he’s not a Cap any more and he hasn’t been one in a really long time.

Which means Tom is even more surprised when the window opens on the video call to reveal Mike’s grinning face from the other room, he starts to giggle. Of course, they have to pretend they aren’t sat in different rooms of the same house.

They get through most of it, with only a little bit of roasting about Tom eating ketchup sandwiches, and then Mike is asked if he’s glad he doesn’t have to live with Tom anymore.

“Nah,” Mike grins into the camera, “I miss it every day.”

As soon as the phone call ends, Tom is yelling through to the other room, “Come here you fucking idiot, I love you so much.”

“Love you too,” Mike sticks his head round the doorframe.

“I like the way everyone thinks I’m the idiot in this relationship, and here you are fucking video calling me from the other room.”

“They asked me,” Mike grins, wrapping his arms around Tom, “What was I supposed to say, sorry, can’t do a media call with Willy because we’re actually in the same place.”

“Those photos though,” Tom groans, “We really weren’t fucking subtle.”

“God, your hair Willy,” Mike laughs, “We both looked fucking awful.”

“You were hot Latts,” Tom tells him, fingers slipping under the edge of Mike’s shirt, “Still are.”

Mike tugs him into a kiss, familiar and easy. “I love you.” He says, sweet and easy.

“Love you too.” Tom tells him, easy too, because loving Mike has always been the easiest thing he’s ever done.

**Author's Note:**

> I made myself cry while writing that. #awks


End file.
